On January 27, the Council led a diverse and bipartisan group of 55 plaintiffs in filing a lawsuit with the Supreme Judicial Court (Court) to ensure a fair and accurate summary of the Massachusetts Graduated Income Tax Amendment (see our statement here and the full complaint here). Plaintiffs are being represented by attorney Kevin Martin and a team of constitutional law experts at Goodwin Procter. The complaint asserts (evidenced by the results of a we poll conducted in November, 2021) that voters would be misled by the current ballot summary, which suggests that all new revenue from the tax will only fund increased spending on public education and public transportation. However, as confirmed by proceedings in our successful 2018 challenge, the Attorney General agrees with our interpretation that no additional spending may result, and the Legislature can in fact spend the new tax revenue on whatever it wants. The complaint asks the SJC to require that voters be provided a “fair, concise summary … of each proposed amendment to the constitution” and “fair and neutral 1-sentence statements describing the effect of a yes or no vote.”

In response to an order from the Court in March, the Attorney General released the summary language. In correspondence with the Attorney General’s Office in March, we recommended compromise language taken verbatim from the Attorney General’s own 2018 brief on the tax amendment stating that the Legislature could choose to reduce funding on education and transportation from other sources and replace it with the new surtax revenue. However, the Attorney General’s office rejected this request as “one-sided.”

Where we go from here 

The Court will now weigh in and has set a schedule for proceedings, starting with briefs from both our legal team and the Attorney General’s Office through April and concluding with an oral argument on May 4. The schedule officially kicked off with the submission of our legal brief on April 4, in which our legal team presented the pertinent facts and how they support our case for why the ballot summary, as currently worded, makes an empty promise about new public education and transportation spending. We expect a decision by the Court in June.

Bolstered by sustained economic growth, state tax receipts continue to exceed projections by a considerable margin. The most recent reporting by the Department of Revenue noted that as of the end of March 2022—three quarters into the current fiscal year—tax collections are $2.2 billion or 8.6 percent above benchmark. Consider, too, that the state has yet to figure out how to spend $2.3 billion in remaining American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds and is expecting $9.5 billion in additional federal funds for infrastructure investments, which the Baker-Polito Administration is already working into their capital spending plans.

The rosy revenue picture should be a salient factor in discussions on Beacon Hill regarding the Governor’s tax relief proposals. House leaders, however, decided not to include the Governor’s proposals in their version of the FY23 budget, which they released to the public on April 13. The door on the Governor’s tax measures isn’t completely closed, however, as the House could decide to introduce tax-focused measures in a budget amendment or other legislation. The budget process moves to the Senate in May, at which time they will also have a say on tax relief.

As we have noted previously, tax policy is one of many frontiers for growing competitiveness between states today—and it’s important that Massachusetts not fall behind the curve. The Council supports the Governor’s tax relief proposals as reasonable steps to advance our competitiveness at a time when many states are similarly experiencing significant revenue growth and are revising their tax policies. According to the Tax Foundation’s February analysis of state tax reform proposals, 40 states in active session by February showed a “flurry of activity on taxes” with tax relief at the center of most states’ policy debates. Massachusetts is noted as being just one of two states with serious initiatives to raise taxes (the other being Hawaii). More recently, governors and state lawmakers from both sides of the partisan aisle have been advocating for gas tax relief measures as consumers feel pain at the pump. An important observation about states’ tax relief initiatives is that many of them have been proposed by Democratic leaders and not just Republicans. As Jared Walczak of the Tax Foundation noted in a February POLITICO report, 2022 is “shaping up to be the year of the bipartisan tax cut.”

⬣ On March 30, the Council gave testimony in support of House Bills 4375 and 4376, which would ensure app-based drivers remain independent contractors.

As we noted in our testimony, the Council supports this legislation because it would help Massachusetts retain a successful business model while ensuring workers maintain flexibility and receive new, robust benefits and protections.

The legislation would establish a framework to help the Commonwealth advance Massachusetts' competitiveness and strong talent pipelines: two efforts vital to our mission at the Council.

⬣ The House Ways and Means Committee released its FY23 budget recommendation Wednesday, April 13. The $49.6 billion budget proposal is a $1.4 billion (2.9%) increase over Governor Baker’s proposed FY23 budget (“House 2”), leaving out tax relief but adding in a $92 million increase for early education and childcare and a $103 million increase in higher education spending, among other new spending items. House Ways and Means retained a number of education and workforce items from Governor Baker’s budget that the Council advocated for, including investments to augment the state’s technical career training infrastructure and Early College programs.

⬣ On March 17, the Baker-Polito Administration announced a new $9.7 billion infrastructure bond bill, which includes $3.6 billion to pursue federal grant program funding that would enable Massachusetts to unlock and secure funding through the federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL). Notable proposals in the bond bill include $6.2 billion for Highway, Transit, and Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA) and $3.3 billion for the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) and MBTA capital programs through 2026. This bill would help the Commonwealth make significant progress on the path to net-zero emissions by 2050, with $850 million to purchase new, energy-efficient green line cars among other climate-mindful provisions.

⬣  Massachusetts’ annual STEM Summit is being held on April 28 as a hybrid event, with opportunities to participate virtually or in-person in regions across the Commonwealth. This year’s Summit builds off the STEM Advisory Council’s goals of creating and sustaining high-quality, integrated STEM pathways, and deepening employer and educator partnerships. Click here to learn more and register for the 2022 Summit.

⬣  From late April to May, Massachusetts’ workforce agencies, including MassHire Career Centers, Workforce Boards, and the Commonwealth Corporation, will be hosting a series of 10 regional employer roadshows to connect employers to new and existing workforce supports managed by the state. Click here to learn more about the roadshows and register.

⬣  In case you missed it: On February 22, the Council launched our new and improved version of MATTERS! Make sure to check out our latest blog exploring some of the ways both our 50-State Competitiveness Dashboard and new Technology Workforce Dashboard can help policymakers and others understand our state’s innovation economy and technology talent.

Registration for the 2022 Annual Meeting is now open! Join us on Tuesday, May 24 as we celebrate 45 years of fostering innovation, economic prosperity, and job creation in the Commonwealth at the Seaport Hotel in Boston.

Doors will open at 11:00 AM ET for the luncheon reception, which will feature a keynote address from Governor Charlie Baker.

This year’s program will also include comments from Council Chair Bob Reynolds, CEO and President of Putnam Investments, and a look at the Council’s latest initiative, MassVision2050, preparing Massachusetts for the opportunities and challenges of tomorrow.

Unable to attend in person? No problem! The event will be live streamed as well. Sponsorship opportunities, including corporate tables, are available. Please contact Chris Anderson for more information and to reserve your sponsorship requests.

On March 29, the Council held its first Board of Directors meeting of the year, hosted by Tom Colatosti at Oasis Systems. Directors were briefed on the status of the Council-led litigation to assure voters receive a fair and accurate summary of the proposed Tax Amendment to the Massachusetts Constitution and explored our revamped MATTERS platform, which consists of a revamped 50-State Competitiveness Dashboard and new Technology Workforce Dashboard. Council leaders also engaged in a robust discussion of MassVision2050.

MassVision2050 (Mass2050) is a groundbreaking, multi-year collaboration between private, public, and academic leaders to generate bold ideas and place Massachusetts at the forefront of forwarding thinking strategies for global issues. The inaugural program, Blue Tech & Climate Resilience, took place on April 12 and focused on the global climate challenge and innovative collaborations happening in the Commonwealth that are dedicated to developing and advancing new climate change solutions. 

McKinsey & Company Partner Rory Clune kicked off the virtual event with a data-driven look at climate resiliency, examining physical hazards and socioeconomic impacts with key metrics to help inform decision makers so that they can better understand, respond to, and mitigate the risks of climate change. 

Attendees then heard from Analog Devices’ (ADI) Chief Technology Officer, Dan Leibholz, and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) President and Director, Peter de Menocal, who discussed the inextricable links between ocean and climate and why comprehensive climate action must include the ocean. As Leibholz and de Menocal noted, coordinated public-private partnerships are essential for deepening our understanding of the ocean. To solve and scale complex and urgent problems, we need diverse perspectives, skills, and technologies, which is one of the driving factors behind the Ocean & Climate Innovation Accelerator (OCIA). Launched by ADI and WHOI, OCIA is a first-of-its-kind consortium dedicated to generating and disseminating new knowledge and solutions at the intersection of ocean and climate science, engineering, communications, and action by bringing together the brightest minds in industry, academia, and philanthropy. 

MITRE’s Chief BlueTech Strategist, Nick Rotker, provided participants with a look at the global ‘Blue Economy,’ which is predicted to grow at double the rate of the rest of the economy by 2030. With our unparalleled concentration of academia, industry, and government maritime expertise and infrastructure, Massachusetts is uniquely positioned to be a premier hub of maritime and undersea innovation as the global Blue Economy grows to $3 trillion during this decade. Among the unique resources based in the Commonwealth that Rotker touched upon is MITRE’s BlueTech Lab, a state-of-the-art, all-weather maritime test facility and collaborative laboratory for innovators and researchers to advance marine technology, strengthen climate resilience, and increase national security and safety. Created to break stovepipes and connect partners across academia, industry, and government in ways that have never been done before, MITRE’s BlueTech Lab and capabilities help the community and the nation accelerate new solutions for national security and climate resiliency. 

Get Involved! 

The Ocean & Climate Innovation Accelerator 

Please contact WHOI President and Director Peter de Menocal via email pdemenocal@whoi.edu, or call (508) 289-2500 to learn how your organization can join the consortium. 

MITRE’s BlueTech Lab 

For more about working with or using MIRTE’s BlueTech Lab, or to engage with the BlueSEA Coalition, e-mail bluetech@mitre.org.  

MassVision2050 

If you would like to get involved in this effort or learn more about it, please contact Chris Anderson at chris@mhtc.org. 

The Council’s Women in Leadership Group Mentoring Program kicked off in March. With 16 mentors and 32 mentees from Council member organizations forming eight mentoring groups, we’re thrilled to have an enthusiastic and engaged inaugural cohort joining us for what we are confident will be a rewarding and impactful experience. Created to foster a culture of inclusion and belonging in our community, the innovative program matches mentors with mentees based on interests, career goals, industry focus, and more, allowing all involved to benefit from the experience while creating more meaningful connections within our membership base. 

We would like to extend our gratitude to all those who applied to participate and to our 2022 WIL Sponsor PTC for making this program possible! 

Another key undertaking for the Women in Leadership initiative is a coordinated push for greater participation amongst MHTC member companies in the 2022 Women in the Workplace study, conducted by McKinsey & Company and Leanin.org. This year, we are looking to obtain a substantive Massachusetts cohort to enable us to see how the Commonwealth compares to other states in helping advance the goal of gender and racial equity in the workplace. 

Now in its 8th consecutive year, this research effort is the largest comprehensive study of the state of women in corporate America. The study provides participating organizations with benchmarks on talent pipeline, HR practices, and employees’ experiences related to career advancement, and work-life issues through a gender and diversity lens. In addition to the data and insights, individual member organizations will gain from participating in the study, the Council will host a program focused on the findings from the 2022 Women in the Workplace study when the report is released in late fall 2022. To watch our December 2021 virtual event, which explored key findings from the 2021 report, including mental and behavioral health and burnout, click here. You can view key takeaways from the program here and read the full 2021 report here. 

To participate, organizations must have at least 1,000 employees based in the U.S. or Canada, and complete the application to confirm eligibility no later than April 30, 2022. 

Participation details: 

If you have questions, please reach out to the survey team at WorkplaceSurvey@Mckinsey.com.

We’re pleased to welcome the newest member to the High Tech Council team: Anita Alden, who has joined us as Program Manager!

Anita is a seasoned professional with multi-faceted experience in the development of rich and diverse talent pipelines throughout her career. As Program Manager, she will help streamline and coordinate with the MHTC team to drive our Diversity, Equity and Opportunity Initiatives, Black Representation and Equity, Women in Leadership, and The School Series. Anita will also help execute our 2022 Annual Meeting and provide support for our newly launched initiative, MassVision2050.

We are thrilled to have Anita on board and look forward to her contributions to advancing the Council’s mission of making Massachusetts the world’s most attractive place in which to live and work, and in which to create, operate, and grow high technology businesses.

⬣  Massachusetts High Technology Council holding virtual forum on climate resilience, Berkshire Eagle, April 8, 2022 

⬣  Activists rally against ride share ballot initiative, The Bay State Banner, April 7, 2022 

⬣  New England Council members to speak at Climate Resilience Webinar next week, New England Council, April 7, 2022

⬣  Report: Millionaires' tax a 'blank check' for Beacon Hill, The Salem News, March 19, 2022 

⬣ New names, fresh faces in battle over gig worker status in Mass., Boston Business Journal, March 17, 2022

We are pleased to offer a variety of high-impact, high-visibility sponsorship, and partnership opportunities. The benefits, programs, and resources outlined in our 2022 MHTC Sponsorship Opportunities provide members with the chance to encompass their brand with the High Tech Council’s mission, values, and priorities while also supporting the growth of Massachusetts’ innovation ecosystem. As a sponsor, you are directly investing in the resiliency and long-term strength of the Massachusetts economy and enhancing the quality of life in our great state. To learn more and reserve your 2022 sponsorship request, please contact Chris Anderson.

Please join us in welcoming our new members, AJS Consulting Company and The RMR Group! 

After serving as chancellor for seven years during a period of unprecedented growth and transformation at UMass Lowell, Jacquie Moloney will step down in June and rejoin the faculty. A national leader in innovation in higher education, she is the first woman to serve as chancellor in the history of the university.

Jacquie has served on the High Tech Council’s Board of Directors since 2015 years and has provided invaluable insight into how we approach talent development and workforce challenges. We are grateful for her thoughtful guidance, ideas, dedication, and advocacy for the Council during her tenure.

On Thursday, May 5, at 5:30 pm ET, the school will host a dinner at the Tsongas Center at UMass Lowell to celebrate her legacy and the indelible mark her leadership has made on UML and the community.

To learn more and register, visit UMass Lowell Alumni Online Community - A Tribute to Chancellor Jaqueline Moloney (uml.edu). If you cannot attend, you can still make a gift to support students in honor of her legacy through the Moloney Student Fellowships fund. Established by Jacquie and her husband Ed as part of the Moloney family legacy and as one of her final fundraising initiatives as chancellor, the Moloney Student Fellowships fund was created to help close financial gaps. The goal is to provide leadership opportunities for students through the Moloney Student Fellowship Fund, which will award stipends to students so they can accept unpaid internships with nonprofits, campus initiatives, entrepreneurial ventures, and other opportunities, so they have the chance to discover the work that they are meant to do.

7 MHTC Members Listed in Business Journals’ Middle Market Leaders